The present invention relates to a nipper for pruning plants and trees and, in particular, to a nipper whose anvil has locator hooks which capture and position objects to be cut depending on their size.
Nippers typically provide cutting action with a single blade against an anvil surface, and have been used in a wide variety of applications. It is a common experience for gardeners and others who use nippers for pruning to experience a stick, stem or branch sliding or squirting outward upon attempting to cut it by squeezing it between the blade and anvil. In addition, because a wide variety of stick, stem and branch sizes are typically presented during pruning, it is also a common experience for gardeners and others to encounter sticks, stems and branches which are too large to cut effectively with a particular nipper.
To provide restraint against movement, notches, such as semi-circular and v-shaped notches, in anvils, have long been used in other applications to locate articles in a fixed position for cutting. Other elements, such as removable clamps, have been used to rigidly position articles on anvils for cutting. With less precision, a stem stop element has been added to a jaw of a clipper to limit inward travel and generally block a stem outward in the jaws for cutting.
While such features have been effective in positioning or restraining articles for cutting in other applications, nippers for pruning plants and trees continue to lack effective means for restraining twigs, stems and branches for cutting, as well as, effective means to prevent engaging oversized twigs, stems and branches.